Are you ready for some long words? Here are some of the procedures that will take place at a hospital. You can announce them with Tenemos que hacer un/a … (We have to do a …) Remember to use un for masculine words that take el and una with feminine words that take la.

PROCEDURES

bronchoscopy

la broncoscopia

lah brohn-cohs-COH-pee-ah

EEG

el electroencefalograma

ehl eh-lec-troh-ehn-seh-fah-loh-

GRAH-mah

EKG or ECG

el electrocardiograma

ehl eh-lec-troh-cahr-dee-oh-GRAH-mah

endoscopy

la endoscopia lah ehn-dohs-COH-pee-ah

When you share some of these long words with patients you may get a blank stare. You will probably have to explain what these tests are and how they are performed. Here are some useful phrases. You will first find some general phrases that can be used for all of the tests, followed by specific phrases for each test.

If you are concerned about enfermedades cardiovas-culares (ehn-fehr-meh-DAH-dehs cahr-dee-oh-vahs-coo-LAH-rehs), cardiovascular illnesses, you may have to do un electrocardiograma (oon eh-lec-troh-cahr-dee-oh-GRAH-mah), an electrocardiogram.

When you need to look at la actividad del cerebro, brain activity, it is time for un electroencefalograma (oon eh-lec-troh-ehn-seh-fah-loh-GRAH-mah), an EEG. This test is often used to see if a patient has ataques (ah-TAH-kehs), seizures.

It is a test that measures the electrical activity produced by the brain.

Es un test que mide la actividad eléctrica producida por el cerebro.

ehs oon test keh MEE-dah lah ahc-tee-vee-DAHD

proh-doo-SEE-dah pohr ehl seh-REH-broh

I am going to put some electrodes on your head.

Voy a poner unos electrodos en su cabeza.

vohy ah poh-NEHR OO-nohs eh-lec-TROH-dohs

ehn soo cah-BEH-sah

The monitor will measure the activity.

El monitor medirá la actividad.

ehls moh-nee-TOHR meh-dee-RAH lah

ahc-tee-vee-DAHD

Endoscopy

If you need to examine internal organs or take a biopsy, you may need to do una endocoscopia, an endos-copy. Walk the patient through the procedures using the following phrases.

It is a procedure to examine internal organs.

Es un procedimiento para examinar los órganos internos.

ehs oon proh-seh-dee-mee-EHN-toh PAH-rah

eh-ksah-mee-NAHR lohs OHR-gah-nohs

een-TEHR-nohs

It is also used to take biopsies.

También se hace para tomar biopsias.

tahm-bee-EHN seh OO-sah PAH-rah

toh-MAHR bee-OP-see-ahs

A tube called an endoscope is introduced into the body.

Se introduce un tubo llamado endoscopio en el cuerpo.

seh een-troh-DOO-seh oon TOO-boh yah-MAH-doh

ehn-dohs-COH-pee-oh ehn ehl KWER-poh

To explain the different ways in which un endosco-pio, an endoscope, can be introduced into the body, use Se puede introducir … (seh poo-EH-deh een-troh-doo-SEER) — it can be introduced … — followed by por la boca (pohr lah BOH-cah), through the mouth; por un orificio natural (pohr oon oh-ree-fee-SEE-oh nah-too-rahl), through an orifice; or con una incisión quirúrgica (OO-nah een-see-see-OHN kee-ROOR-hee-cah), through a surgical incision.

Bronchoscopy

When you need to examine los bronquios (lohs BROHN-kee-ohs), bronchi, you may have to perform una broncoscopia (OO-nah bron-cohs-COH-pee-ah).

A bronchoscopy is a procedure to see inside people's airways, or bronchi.